Forty thousand campaigners were marching in London today to demand urgent action on climate change.

Celebrities including actress Emma Thompson and musician Peter Gabriel are joining campaigners and British flood victims at the march and rally.

It is one of 2,000 events taking place in 150 countries around the world ahead of a United Nations climate summit next week.

Some 100,000 people are expected to get involved in New York City - the summit's location - to demand leaders take action to tackle rising temperatures.

The UN summit has been convened by Secretary General Ban Ki-moon in a bid to drive action and momentum towards talks in Paris in 2015.

Getting involved: Thousands of campaigners are involved in a march in London today to demand urgent action on climate change

Dramatic background: The People's Climate March passes the Houses of Parliament, central London - one of 2,000 events taking place in 150 countries around the world

Passionate: Actress Emma Thompson is taking part in the climate change march with demonstrators in central London today

Family involvement: Thompson stands with her daughter Gaia, 14 (left), and speaks to a journalist (right) at the People's Climate March in central London today

Remembered: Dame Vivienne Westwood (centre) speaks with Kye Gbangbola and wife Nicole, the parents of Zane Gbangbola, seven, who - according to police - died from carbon monoxide intoxication during the floods in Surrey in February. The boy’s parents claim he was actually killed by cyanide gas leaking from a landfill site

Greeting: The march and rally is seeing celebrities including Thompson (left) and musician Peter Gabriel (right) join campaigners and British flood victims

Marching: These climate change demonstrators in central London were joined in their action by others in countries such as India, Australia and Turkey

Smiling: Peter Gabriel, an environmental activist who is also known as being the lead vocalist of rock band Genesis, takes part in the march today

Leading the march: Thompson (right) speaks to fashion designer Dame Vivienne Westwood (left) at the rally in central London today

Zebras at the front: An estimated 40,000 people march from the Embankment via Whitehall to the Houses of Parliament in central London

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The 55-year-old star of Love Actually added: ‘Now we must use our power to tackle the biggest threat humanity has ever faced.’

Other events include one in rural Papua New Guinea, where primary school students will march to a lighthouse semi-submerged due to rising sea levels.

And at the US-Canadian border between Vancouver and Seattle, people will link hands to show climate change ‘knows no borders’.

Protests were also taking place today in Brussels, Belgium; New Delhi, India; Istanbul, Turkey; and Sydney and Melbourne, Australia.

Over in America: People gather near Columbus Circle in Manhattan before the People's Climate March in New York City today

Interviewed: Actor and activist Mark Ruffalo takes questions before the start of the People's Climate March in New York City today

Anticipation: People fill 58th Street between 8th and 9th Avenue in Manhattan, New York City, before a climate change protest march today

Banners: Thousands of people from across the US are expected in New York City to participate in what has been billed as the largest march ever on global warming

Australia: Enviromental protesters gather at a Sydney park today as part of a global climate change demonstration. There are 2,000 events taking place in 150 countries

Demonstrations around the world: Thousands of people march in a climate change rally in Melbourne today, ahead of a United Nations climate summit next week

Colourful placards: A boy joins protesters at a climate change rally in Melbourne (left), while other demonstrators are seen at a park in Sydney (right)

Making a stand: Thousands of people march in a rally in Melbourne today, along with a giant figure of a blindfolded of Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott

Aerial view: In this photograph taken from a drone, environmental protesters form the words 'Beyond Coal + Gas' during a meeting in a park in Sydney today

In New York, Mr Ban has said he will join marchers who are demanding ‘action not words’ at the summit next week.

The event is being attended by more than 120 world leaders including Prime Minister David Cameron.

'We must use our power to tackle the biggest threat humanity has ever faced'

Emma Thompson

Campaign groups including Avaaz, Greenpeace UK, Christian Aid and Friends of the Earth are taking part in the march in London, while other events are taking place in cities around the UK.

The talks will see the launch of ourvoices.net, a multi-faith initiative which aims to ‘bring faith to the climate talks’.

Hundreds of people are expected to meet for a multi-faith gathering before the march in London.

Tahmid Dewan, 22, of Harrow, north-west London, said: ‘As a Muslim I believe it is my responsibility to do my bit to make sure we are caring for the environment and help save the planet.

Young voices: Indian school children take part in the People's Climate March ahead of the UN Climate Summit in New Delhi today

'Action not words': Protesters hold placards and shout slogans during the People's Climate March in Istanbul, Turkey, today

Joining together: Waving placards and banners, local residents spell out a 'Climate SOS' message as they participate in a rally and march in Brussels, Belgium, today

Ready: Posters are stacked up for the beginning of The People's Climate March in central London, with around 10,000 demonstrators expected to take part

Lit up: People gather outside an architectural light show - designed to inspire action on climate change - on the side of the UN headquarters in New York City yesterday

‘That is why I am going to the march, to show my support for a cause that I believe is in line with my Islamic principles.

‘With so many people of faith who believe it is their moral duty to speak out against climate change and the destruction of the planet, faith groups need to be involved in the climate talks.

'The developed world, which is chiefly responsible for the crisis we face, must take the lead by cutting its emissions furthest and fastest'

Andrew Pendleton, Friends of the Earth

‘However it is also on us to show that we first and foremost care.’

Ahead of the summit, Friends of the Earth's head of campaigns Andrew Pendleton said: ‘Time is running out to avoid catastrophic climate change.

‘International talks are not enough, we need urgent action too.

‘The developed world, which is chiefly responsible for the crisis we face, must take the lead by cutting its emissions furthest and fastest.

And he warned: ‘The UK's environmental credibility has been sinking for years.

‘The Government has been bending over backwards to develop fracking and extract more dirty gas and oil, instead of investing in the UK's huge renewable power potential and a cleaner future for us all.’

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Climate march in cities all over the world demanding urgent action on climate change